Happy 2020!

Last night, I put our group on the calendar at Chef Lin to reserve the back room on Saturday, Feb 1, from 12-4 (with an extra hour beforehand to move tables around etc). It seems to work better for winter sowing gardeners to meet around Groundhog's Day, so that's why I've suggested Feb. 1.

We've been meeting at Chef Lin for years -- the attractions are fixed price with plenty of variety and a back room we can use for the swapping part of the party. Also, Frederick is a reasonably central location. However, the past couple of years, they've been increasingly using the back room for storage, and sometimes there are defunct buffet servers etc. that they can't really get out of our way. Last year they did do a good job of moving bulk good out, although that was a last minute effort. I have not checked out the back room for 6 months, so I don't know the current situation. But perhaps it's just time for a change?

So I'm willing to entertain alternatives. If you think of a place, please call them and see how/if they could accommodate our group. Buffet style has worked very well as a fixed-price option for us; I'm not sure we can come up with a definite number for a catering option -- from past seed swaps, I can tell you that the number of people coming on Wednesday can be plus or minus 5-6 from the actual number attending on Saturday. We've had 12 people, and we've had 32.

So, I need 3 pieces of information from everybody, please.

1. Do you plan to attend on Feb. 1?

2. Thumbs up or thumbs down for Chef Lin this year?

3. Can you suggest an alternative place to meet, eat, and swap seeds?

and an important fourth thing -- even though the thread isn't up yet, remember you can START ENTERING NEW SEEDS in your swap list. When the swap goes "active," you'll just have to check off the seeds you've added.

reserved

I'll be there - for Chef Lin.

I'm planning on being there. What about Golden Corral? I know they have a back room. Although mid-day on a Saturday they might not be willing to accommodate. An advantage though is that it wouldn't matter how many people showed up, planned or unplanned.

Golden Corral in Frederick has improved since we first moved here. They're pretty jammed on the weekends. I don't know if the Frederick location has a back room -- were you talking about that one or about one near you?

I'm regretting not checking the back room Friday at Chef Lin.. it was late and we were tired, just wanted to get Joyanna home! I'll see when I can swing by. Maybe they've stopped using it for storage?

The one at FSK mall

OK, that's the one I'm familiar with as well. Jim isn't fond of it, but I take Joyanna there every so often with a friend. Ask for root beer, no ice, and then add soft serve vanilla ice cream!

I will be there, Feb 1st works for me. Chef Lin is good but will go wherever.

I'd like to come and Feb 1st works for us.
Never been to a seed swap or Chef Lin's, but both sound fun.
Look forward to seeing my gardening friends in the middle of winter!

Susan, Robin, Rick, Frenchy -- glad you've all marked the date! it's always such fun to get together in the middle of winter... friends, food, fun and a bunch of seeds changing hands!

I plan to attend. Chef Lin has worked out well, and Rick's suggestion of Golden Corral if we can do a back room seems like a fine alternate.

So far, sounds like nobody is overly bothered by the storage items in the back room at Chef Lin, as long as there's room for us to sit and swap...

Of course, I'm crossing fingers that it will have been recently de-junked.

I have not checked for a long time. But as long as Frenchy21 goes, and she is willing to give me a ride, I will be there as well---Thank you Frenchy----

I plan to attend too.

Francine, yes I'm going and am very happy to give you a ride.

I'll come, and Chef Lin is fine with me!

I'll start a new thread after I have a chance to check the state of the back room at Chef Lin...

meanwhile, go enter seeds on your main list (seed swap tool) so you're ready to go!

We're a GO on the seed swap tool!

I added this year's swap to the seed swap tool just now. Go to "tools & apps" and click on "Seed Swaps." Find our swap, click on it, and scroll down past the details to find the "join this swap" button.

Get as many of your seeds entered on your list as possible BEFORE trading begins -- you have 1 more week!

During this next week, you can also check out what others have listed and put things on your wish list to remind you to try for them ASAP. Putting something on your wish list does not automatically put "dibs" on it once trading starts -- you have to go to the swap list and request the item.

I'm starting trading with the seed swap tool on Friday, Jan 24, at 7 pm. PLEASE be fair and don't start making trades on the chat thread for packets you have listed in the swap tool. It's fine to ask if people are interested so you know whether to make up 2 or 6 packs of something, but going through the swap tool helps everybody stay organized and makes sure everybody gets a chance to claim one-of-a-kind offerings.

I've entered a ticket multiplier of 3. That means next Friday, you'll get 3 tickets (1 ticket = 1 "dib"), at 7 pm Saturday you'll get 6 more tickets, on Sunday (day 3, times 3) you'll get 9 more tickets, etc. You will also get additional tickets when people "dibs" items from your trade list, so the more seeds you offer, the more you'll be able to get.

At the end of the week, I'll increase the multiplier to something insane to be sure any latecomers can get in their requests. I set up the swap to go through Saturday, but please understand that if you make a late night request on Friday or a morning request on Saturday, it may or may not be fulfilled, depending on when that person is done packing up their seeds.

You do not have to use the seed swap tool, but it's a helpful way to organize some trades in advance. If you haven't used the tool before, Dave has a great tutorial at the top of the first page. In addition to swapping through the tool, you can come with a box of seeds and pass it around, and you can check out other people's boxes, and you can sift through the "free to good home" pile.

When you add an item to your swap list, remember to check the box for our swap! Also remember, in order to put "dibs" on anything next Friday and the following days, you need to have at least one item in your swap list (even if it's "a warm hug" -- we're easy.)

I have not yet stopped by Chef Lin to 1. Determine the state of the back room and 2. ask for current prices. When I do (hopefully today or tomorrow), I'll update those details in the swap tool info box. And I'll start a new thread for swap chat!

New thread! We're a "go" for Chef Lin.

The thread "2020 "Think Spring!" seed swap on Sat, Feb 1, 2020" in Mid Atlantic Gardening forum

@RickM, please sticky this thread and cut loose the "save the date" thread for the seed swap. Thank you! (and thanks for the zillion little things you do to keep this forum running smoothly, most of which go unnoticed)